Guided Tour
This is a visual tour of an OmniBox. This page demonstrates:
- The core parts of OmniBox and their variations;
- Trays and panels; and
- How these pieces fit together.
Overview
The configuration in the image above will be our example in this guide. We will start with the Core components and move on to the trays and panels that make OmniBox so modular.
Links
Links on this site to external resources have prefix icons to identify what they do:
- The git icon is used for links to the OmniBox GitHub.
- identifies an example link to a shopping site.
Internal page links in this tour are marked with an arrow sign.
Core Components
Core components form the basis of every case. End-user parts normally do not attach to core components; instead, user parts are attached to trays and panels, which then mount on the Core case.
Note: Heat Set Inserts (HSI)
Most Core components come with the option of using heat set inserts to attach most trays and panels. These STL files have "HSI" in the name.
There are two (2) types of Core components: Base and Main Body. A typical OmniBox build has two (2) parts for the base and three (3) for the main body.
The Unified base can be printed instead of the front and rear Base pieces.
Main Body
Base
The Base serves as a cover and mount for the power supply. It helps with wire routing and acts as a rigid base for the rest of the Core case.
Front Base
This is the front of two halves. All versions come with front air vents and optional 40mm fan mounts.
The Front can be printed to fit a two types of power switches.
Rear Base
The back half mounts a fused IEC power plug and part of the Rear Panel.
This component is available with heat set inserts.
Unified Base
The base can be printed as a single piece instead halves on printers with a bed at least 300mm on one axis.
An extended version is available for the RSP-500 PSU. This file is 10mm taller than the normal base to account for the additional power supply height.
This component is available with heat set inserts.
Main Body
Main Body Crossbar
This is a crossbar that joins and covers the joint between the lids and front display.
This component is available with heat set inserts.
Front Main Body
The front half of the Main Body mounts the display and front panel.
This component is available with heat set inserts.
Rear Main Body
The rear half of the Main Body is the largest single piece of the case and operates with two levels. The lower level has CPU and lower bay trays. The upper level mounts the MCU.
This component is available with heat set inserts.
This versions of the rear main body requires either rear panel or lid-mounted fans.
Trays
Trays are used for mounting parts internally. There are four (4) types of trays.
Templates are available in both STEP and Fusion 360 formats to add support for new products.
Note
PSU trays are a new feature and do not yet have a template.
Trays
PSU Tray
Power supply (PSU) trays slide up from underneath the case.
Large (tall) power supplies require the use of an extended Unified Base or a base extension.
MCU Tray
Lower Bay Trays
The lower bay is an area to mount parts like buck converters and MOSFETs. There are two dedicated lower bay trays locations and four more that can occupy an unused CPU tray bay.
These trays can be Short or Long. A Long tray covers the mount points of two Short trays and must be mounted from side-to-side in the case.
CPU Tray
The CPU tray is an optional mount for a Raspberry Pi or other SBC. There are two bays for CPU trays; one is on each side of the case.
An unused bay is replaced by a Side Panel. A short lower bay tray can also be installed in an unused CPU bay.
Panels
General Panels
Connector Panels
Panels cover the outside of OmniBox and mount of a range of options. Front, side, and rear panels are typically used for connectors, fans, and ventilation.
There is a blank STEP and Fusion 360 template for each panel category to allow users to create new panels.
Front Panel
The front panel serves as an air vent and location to put a MicroSD card reader extension. USB extensions and RGB LEDs are also common.
Side Panel
A side panel replaces a CPU tray and often mounts connectors or fans. A blank side panel may also be used.
Bottom Panel
The bottom panels act as a cover for the underside of the case. A fully enclosed option is available to keep dust out.
Display Panel
This area mounts LCD displays, from the basic 128x64 character display to Raspbery Pi TFTs.
Lid(s)
The lid is both a way into your case and a configurable panel. There are two types of lids: short and long lids. You can either print one (1) long lid or two (2) short lids.
Rear Panel
The rear panel is used for ventilation, passing wiring out of your case, and optionally an additional fan. There are stock configurations available to suit common uses. A template is available for customization.
Rear panels with panel mounted connectors are an active area of work.
Other Components
Fans
Externally mounted fans use fan cages to cover the fan blades. There are a large number of fan sizes supported, each with a matching TPU fan gasket. The gaskets are optional and serve to reduce noise.
40mm fans may also be internally mounted in a number of ways.
Base Extensions
A base extension shim mounts between the base and the bottom panel and adds 10mm or 13mm of height. This is needed for the RSP-500 and other large PSUs.
This part is not needed if you print the extended Unified Base.
Power Switch
OmniBox accepts either a 29mm x 10.5mm snap-in SPST rocker switch or a 12mm toggle switch for power on/off.
Larger power supplies will not fit with a toggle switch. Check the PSU support page for more.
A cover is available for rocker switches to prevent accidental power-off.
IEC C14 Power Socket
Power is provided through a standard fused IEC C14 power socket.
